Part 3

"Something Is Different"

(Apologizing for grammar errors in advance. Jamie = really tired)

The limo slowly pulled over to the curb, letting everyone out. And trust me, I got out of that thing as fast as I could. The fresh air outside was truly a savior to me as I breathed it in. Dense-awkward moods make dense-awkward air. Ultimately equally almost impossible to breath. It really made me wonder how they survived the twenty or so minutes waiting for me.

As I thought about what they might have been talking about before I got there, and breathed in the nice and cool New York air, my eyes saw a face that my mind didn't quite register. I continued to think and breath (well... breathing is kind of a must; you know what I mean). I looked up at all the skyscrapers, until I looked back at that face, it finally registering. With that all my other thoughts just disappeared. No questions asked.

I ran over like an idiot, which I wasn't really caring about at the moment, but right before I ran into them I stopped to stare into their eyes. Beautifully blue as always. Then he smiled, and that hadn't changed much either. Still able to charm the ass off of anyone. Everything just seemed to be so perfect with him. Then again... He's Nate Archibald.

Before I could even open my mouth, which I was just about to do, Nate beat me to the punch. "Well hello there Jennifer." His voice was sarcastic, because when has he ever seriously called me Jennifer? Even with a sarcastic tone, his voice was music to my ears. To think I wanted to rip his head off on the train ride home, and now here I was. Totally, and completely, captured just in his voice.

My lips fought to open, but I just couldn't. I had no words to say. I wanted to throw my arms around him and hug him until I couldn't hug him no more, yet my arms were just to nervous. Everything was so jumbled with him near. Finally my body agreed on what to do. I threw my arms him gently. "Hi Nate, it's been to long." Quietly I whispered into his ear. I pulled away at a normal pace, not wanting to raise any suspicions.

Gently he pushed a strand of hair out of my face, making pink start to take over my cheeks. I didn't want to over analyze it (well, ok I really did want to over analyze it), but could this be a sign of him actually regretting not talking to me? A sign that he wants me back in his life. Or maybe this is just me regretting not trying to get him back in my life sooner. Either way, this feeling in my stomach meant something. Something I now desperately needed to figure out.

"Jenny Humphrey," Nate stared at me, examining my body, like he was trying to find everything that changed. But if he wanted that, he was going to have to look a lot deeper. "Little J from Brooklyn." He shook his head. Was he... disappointed in what he saw? "I've missed you." And there's that welcoming, charming smile I knew.

Once again I just wanted to strangle him in a hug. Why did his smile have to be so convincing? Because if you knew Nate, you'd know the rest of him isn't always so convincing. And I know better, but... I'm back now. Is it naïve to think things could be different this time? I don't think it's naïve, just probably not the best way to dive head first in with returning home. How about, for now, we settle for: I have a chance (hopefully).

Before I could say anything, Blair's limo pulled up, Dan exiting it happily. As happy, and captured within him I was, Nate suddenly just seemed less important, or maybe this just caught my interest more. Why, no how, could Dan be so happy next to Blair? I can't even count how many insults I've heard her say about him, to him, or laugh when she heard something about him. And there's probably, actually I know there is, a lot more that I've never even heard her say. Dan isn't, or should I say wasn't, Blair's biggest fan either. Yet here they were. Smiling at each other like close friends.

This couldn't help but give me more hope to being happy here. If two people who have hated each other so much can make amends like this, almost anything seems possible. There is a chance for anything. Whether it's Nate wanting me back, and I mean more then a friend, or Serena forgiving me and finally being my sister again. There has to be some hope-

And then reality set in. Maybe Dan and Blair are ok now. And maybe Chuck has become a better person. But that doesn't make the world spin right. Because as soon as Blair passed Serena, that smile that Dan gave her quickly disappeared, yet appeared seconds after she passed. It's the thing parents or adults don't notice. I feel trained in this field though, so I could definitely see the quick glance of hatred between them. Now that's reality. That hatred will always rule the Upper East Side, and just in general beat everything else.

Then, as Blair passed Chuck she, she... She didn't do anything. There was no glare of hatred. No glance anger. No fist tightening of revenge. Not even any disappointment in her eyes. It was like she was just Blair, and Chuck Bass no longer had a hold on her. I don't get how that's possible, but that's all I could see.

This reality is freaking me out.

"Should we go up?" I heard Nate's voice, but his face was no where in sigh. I was to hung up trying to figure out what the hell was happening with Blair. She clearly still hated Serena since there fall out, shouldn't her hatred for Chuck still show too? What he did was a lot worse. "Or are you having a ball standing in the middle of the sidewalk?"

I whipped my head around, making my hair fly, to look Nate face to face once again. A fake smile was all I could really get out. For some reason seeing Blair's calmness with Chuck is freaking me out. There are just so many possibilities. She could have gotten really good at hiding her anger over the summer. Her and Chuck could secretly be together. She could have a new boyfriend, so Chuck doesn't seem so important any more. Or maybe she really had learned to let go... Nah.

So, without even bothering to try and mutter out a word, I headed straight for the apartment doors. There was the same doorman as last year, Phillip. They got a new rug for him to stand on though, it's nice and red. They might of changed a picture or two in the waiting room, but besides for that... Hello home sweet home.

*Line*

"Back and Forth Through These Halls"

The elevator felt crowded, so once again Blair and Dan offered to wait for the next one. Now this was starting to bug me. I am all up for forgiving, but becoming instant BFFs? I just don't know. After everything they've been through, could they ever really be that close? One of them was scheming against the other. They just had to be.

But disregarding Dan and Blair's surprising new fondness of each other, this not so surprising and not so new tension was driving me to hell and back. In a way I wish we could just say what we all knew was true, and get on with it. Serena still hates me. And you could tell by just looking at them that Rufus and Lily were having marriage problems, again. Erik was kind of just there. Nate wanted to, I don't know, talk to me? Vanessa was annoyed with Blair and Serena, well no duh. Did I mention Serena wanted to slap me? Just those kind of feelings.

After a minute or so of the elevator going up, it finally opened to the very new apartment. The walls were repainted, new pictures were up, the kitchen was remodeled. You know what all this told me? Besides the fact a lot can change in a year? Lily and Rufus were a lot worse off then I thought. All it did was make me have flash back to when my mom first decided to "have her space". At first it was normal, well as normal as it could be, and we acted as if it really was normal. But when my dad realized she wasn't ever coming back, even after that brief period of time she did, we changed a lot.

We got new curtains, the exact opposite color and design of the ones my mom loved. A new couch, even though my dad loved our old one. I was allowed to repaint my room and decorate it however I wanted (my dad likes to claim it was because I was getting older and I could use a change, but I know differently). We even got a new waffle maker! And what was going on with Rufus and Lily, they were all the same signs.

Just maybe with better, more expensive taste...

Vanessa and Erik started talking as they headed for the coach to sit down. Lily and Rufus headed for the kitchen which was set up for a big "family" dinner. Which really just left Nate, Serena, and me, so I smiled my best at the both of them before exiting. And I was about to rush over to Vanessa and Erik so I could maybe feel relaxed for a minute, but I felt a sudden pull on my arm. I spun around to see Nate smiling, with this look on his face like "You can't get away that easily." Which clearly made Serena get even more pissed off. Ha-ha.

"Do you need something?" I said, trying my best to hide my way-to-happy smile. It's ok to be super happy to see someone, but showing it like a crazy person never seemed like a good idea. Besides, how do I even know if this happiness is real? It could just be a time limited rush from seeing the only guy I've ever really fallen for. Getting my heartbroken by falling to fast, not realizing I'm just in the friend zone, again is not on my list of things to do well back in New York.

"Just a chance to really talk to you." Nate smiled a very happy smile, and I know, I just said showing to much happiness at once could seem weird, but he's Nate. Whenever he smiles it's acceptable. I don't even know exactly why he's smiling yet either. For all I know he's just missed having a girl to fall back on.

I glanced back at Vanessa and Erik. They were well enough off talking to each other. Getting stolen away by Nate wouldn't harm any one except herself. "Of course. It'd be really nice to catch up." I tried to smile, but I couldn't help but get a feeling it wasn't going to be as nice as I made it out to be.

We walked down the hall, side by side, so close we might as of been holding hands. We weren't going any where in particular, kind of just walking these familiar halls. I admired the new pictures and wondered if Nate had seen them as well, maybe Dan had invited him over for dinner; I didn't even know if they were still very close. I realized I really didn't know much about Nate at all.

"So how was your senior year in Hudson?" Nate grinned as he continued to talk, with his voice getting sarcastic, "Did Mrs. Jenny Humphrey rule the school?" I get that he was trying to be funny about it, but it kind of hit a nerve. It seems like no matter what school I go to, it turns into some kind of hell. Either I'm a pushover or a bitchy queen. Hudson was a split between both. Surprise, surprise.

I really didn't want to talk about school. "It was alright. Hudson boys just aren't the same as you New York ones, but it was alright. And prom was... Interesting to say the least." Well I'm stupid. If I wanted this conversation to stop, I wouldn't bring up a night like prom.

Nate got this curious grin, like he knew this was going to be fun to hear about. But I'll tell you now, it won't be fun to relive. "Really? What happened at prom?" His eyes were glistening anxiously. He seemed a little too excited to hear my hell.

"You know what? It was stupid can we just-" I was cut off by Serena suddenly stepping in front of me. For once I was happy to see her annoying blond hair. And, yes, hair can be annoying, it's Serena.

Serena stepped right in front of me, so not only was she blocking me she was four inches away from Nate's face. Great. "Can I steal Jenny away for a moment? I haven't gotten a chance to welcome her back." She used her cheerful voice that I never hear while she's talking to me anymore. And before he could even answer she took me by the arm and started walking the opposite way down the hall.

A like a little girl dragging her dolly, me being the dolly, we reached the kitchen where Lily and Rufus had already to there room (they were probably arguing about something). I put on my best fake smile as Serena turned around, just to get her realist glare. Times like this I wish I could just throw my hands up in the air and tell her she wins. Because none of this feels worth it at this point.

"What do you think you're trying to do?" She whispered-yelled at me. There was no point in asking what, she was just going to yell at me for it any second. "Are you trying to get Nate back? Because I'll tell you now it's not going to work." Pissed, she crossed her arm, never letting her glare leave me.

I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. This was just so... Serena. Thinking I'm here to take what's not hers. "I'm not here to try and get anyone. I'm back to be with family." A sigh slipped out, with my regretting my words before I even spoke. "Which does include you."

For a brief second the anger left Serena's face, just for it to come back. It made me think, had she forgotten the fact she was practically my sister? I might not love her to death, and I know the feeling isn't mutual, but we are what we are. She'd always have a place in my heart. True it's downsized the last year; it's still there. I wasn't about to say that though.

"Blair ran you out of here, and her threat clearly didn't stick. But mine will." Before I could even blink she was up in my face. So close I could feel her breathing. This was not only scary, but weird. "If you try anything I promise you-" And then she stopped, taking a step back. Not because she wanted to, but because someone was making her.

I followed her eyes to the person behind me, to my surprise it wasn't Dan, or Nate, or my dad, or whoever; it was Blair. There she was. Just standing there, her eyes giving Serena the dirtiest of looks. I could feel the anger bouncing off the both of them, being stuck in the middle only made it worse. Now all I had to do was wait to hear, and feel, the punches that were thrown with their words.

Blair walked to my side, glancing at me while flashing a quick smile before returning her stare to Serena. "What were you saying, S? What do you have planned for Jenny?" That original evil Blair smirk got on her face, which made me a little excited to hear what she was going to say. "There really isn't much you can do. All you have over Jenny is the fact you use to date Dan. But I think we all know Dan's learned from his mistake..." Her eyes tighten and she got a fake smile before she took my hand and started leading me away.

This was getting ridiculous. First Nate walks me down one way, then Serena practically drags me the other way, and now I didn't even know where Blair was taking me. More importantly, I didn't even know what she wanted with me, or why she saved me from Serena. The one and only thing I'll miss about Hudson (besides for my mom, obviously)? It wasn't so damn confusing.

We continued to walk until we reached Serena's old bedroom, which use to be my old bedroom, which is now Serena's bedroom again. Not to be negative, but she decorated it horribly. It looked way better when I was living here. It was like she looked up "French Artists" and just picked the most expensive pieces she saw because she thought she was being artsy. So stupid.

Finally I removed my hand from Blair's grasp. "Ok, can I ask what the hell that was all just about?" I probably came off a lot more negative then I should have, I mean, I am thankful she saved me, but the thing is I have no idea why. "Last time I checked you hated me, yet here you are making Serena look like a fool to save me."

All Blair did was sigh and give me this look like I was stupid for even asking. "We have to stick together. Serena can be really scary when you're alone, but she's really not that bad. All bark, no bite." With that it made it seem like she told me everything I had to know, really I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Since when have we, been a 'we'?" I put bunny ears around the second 'we', not sure what she was talking about. The last time Blair was nice to me was... Well actually I can't even remember a day when she was just nice. Maybe at the end of her sleepover, where she gave me my props for making it back, but even for that I had to go through her evilness.

"Since I finally had my last straw with her." It wasn't that hard to tell that Blair was talking about the fact when they went to France together this summer, she ended up pushing Serena into fountain. No really knows what they were fighting about. Rumors went wild it was about Chuck, which I could never really challenge with anything else. "Us Serena survivors have to stick together."

Awkwardly I scratched the back of my head. This... Was just not right. "Well, thank you Blair." Barely I mumbled to myself, "I think..." I started to take a few steps to the door. "I think I'm going to go say hi to Erik, see what's up. But, uh, talk to you later?"

As I started to leave the room I heard her yell after me, "It's good to have you back Jenny!" I stopped to face her as she continued. "I mean it. New York was just as crazy, but it really wasn't the same without you here." With that she smiled. With that I left the room.

I know, I know. Shouldn't I be happy the person who wanted to completely destroy was now on my side? It was just to weird. We hadn't talked. We hadn't seen each other. I mean, the last memory we have together is when she found out about Chuck and I and threatened to ruin my life. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but if going to Constance has taught me anything, it's that you can never trust any one once they've betrayed you (or you've betrayed them).

*Line*

"Question 21"

A/N: If you haven't liked it this far, I promise you this part will make it ALL better! (hopefully...)

The clock struck 2am, and I was now sure everyone was asleep. About an hour ago I heard Lily and Rufus get into a fight, just for it to die out twenty minutes later and their light click off. Vanessa headed home around 10 because she had a paper to write. Erik still had school tomorrow, so he went to bed around 11. Serena and Nate left a while ago, and Dan went back to the Brooklyn apart around 10:30. And I don't even know when Blair left, she just disappeared at some point.

Trying to not make any noise, I tip-toed out to the kitchen. I hadn't eaten anything all day. I was to nervous to eat before getting on the train, and then I forgot to pack any food. Then dinner was so awkward all I did was gulp down two glasses of champagne, and barely touched my food. It's kind of funny, 2am is the only time I felt comfortable to do anything in this place.

It was only after I opened the fridge and grabbed the milk carton that I realized the lamp still on in the living room. Slowly I set the milk down, heading toward the light. That's when I saw his figure, leaning over a glass of, what I could guess was scotch. He appeared like a silhouette, something someone would frame. Yet at the same time he looked like a mess, and his only cure was more alcohol.

This was the Chuck Bass I knew.

"Are you ok?" I knew the answer before I asked the question. Something was definitely going on with him. Even at the train station I could tell something was off. And I know, he was being nicer then usual and even laughed with me; that's what was so wrong. It might have been nice, but that's what gave it away that he wasn't ok.

It took him a moment to drag his eyes off his scotch and look up at me. His eyes were blood shot red already, yet his words weren't even slurred. "What do you think?" He looked at me like he actually wanted an answer. I didn't have a clue what to say. "I lost the only girl who has ever loved me for every rotten piece of me. I moved out of my apartment with my best friend back to my step-mom's place. And it's now 2am, I'm trying to drink all my problems away..." His words got softer as he finished his sentence, "and then Ms. Jenny Humphrey walks in."

Carefully I placed myself beside him, not wanting to make it awkward (or, more awkward than is). "Well... Is that a bad thing Ms. Jenny Humphrey walked in?" Which was a risky question to ask, because I didn't even know what I wanted the answer to be. Of course I wanted him to be ok with me, there was a line though, and I was afraid for it to get crossed to soon.

He took the bottle of scotch, poured into the second empty glass, then poured it into his own glass. He handed the second one to me, giving me a grin. "It's a great thing. Now I have some one to talk to as I try and sober out." We clinked our glasses together right before he chugged the whole thing down. "What are you doing up this late anyways?"

When he asked that, I was trying to figure out if he really cared, or was just asking to make conversation. Either way I was going to tell him, but Chuck is so hard to read sometimes you just want to try to see what he's thinking for the challenge. "I haven't eaten all day. Any time I've tried, it's been to awkward, because either my mom was panicking if I had everything, or Serena was giving me the death glare, or Blair kept trying to be nice to me."

As soon as I said 'Blair', I saw Chuck's eyes close tightly, like he was thinking. Getting over some one takes time, I can understand that. It took me practically two years to finally get over Nate, and he never even loved me back. Blair and Chuck were this perfect couple in a real messed up way, so I can see what getting over her would be tough. The thing was, Blair was perfectly happy now, yet Chuck was still suffering. It was like he didn't want to get over her.

"Yeah, Blair's been acting different the past couple of months." Chuck poured another glass, just staring at the scotch as it splashed into the glass. Before I could protest, he grabbed my glass and filled it up as well. "At least one of us is happy, right?" I could tell he didn't mean that. Either he wanted her to miserable with him, or he wanted to be happy.

I sipped the scotch, it's always been a little too strong for me. "Don't you deserve to be happy too? You guys might have had a fall out, but that doesn't mean one of you has to be miserable while the other moves on with their life." In a way it felt wrong for me to give advice on this, I'm the miserable party in almost all my situations, and I'm still not happy about any of it.

"That's the thing... I don't know how to be happy without her." That's when he took his eyes off his scotch, and on to me. When you were little, and you skimmed your knee or your toy broke or even right after your parents yelled at you, you know that broken stare you have while the tears start to creep in? That's all I could see on his face. I knew Chuck was damaged goods, but now I realize he's much more then damaged. He's broken.

My hand lightly touched his as I removed the glass from his hand, setting it on the coffee table. My eyes never left his as I set it down. I don't know why we had so much fun when he picked me up. I don't know why we were connecting now. And I don't even know why my heart is starting to ache. All I knew was it was happening, and it had something, or everything, to do with Chuck Bass.

That's when he took my hand and stood up. I rose with him without even thinking, I was following him like a zombie as he brought me to the window. Lightly he let go, glancing at me quickly before staring out to the lights. "Look outside. Look at the apartments with the lights still on. The people walking down on the streets. Taxi cabs and cars zooming down the road." He looked back at me, my eyes meeting with his. "Where do you think they're going? Do you think some one is waiting for them wherever that is?"

"When I was on the train ride home, I wondered who'd be there for me. If my dad would even pick me up."Our stare was getting to intense for me, I had to look out once again. There was an apartment with it's lights on across the street, a man and woman sitting on a couch. I watched as they slowly moved closer, until their lips touched, and then I looked away. "But it was you. I wasn't expecting you, Chuck."

"I'm... Sorry it was me?" He said confused. I wasn't quite sure what he was asking me, but I was answering in the only way I knew how. "How does that answer my question?" Chuck said it like he wasn't sure if I even got what he asked me. I got it more then he'd ever realize.

I smiled softly, a light feeling filling my stomach. "I didn't know whether or not I'd have someone there. When I did get there though, there was you." I looked back to that apartment, the lights were off, and I had to wonder when going there if those two knew they'd end up so close. "What I'm trying to say is, I didn't think I would have any one, but once I got here I did. I had you. So what I'm really saying is-" His words cut me off.

Chuck's lips barely parted as he finished what I had started, "You don't always know who you'll have until you get there." His tone didn't match his words, like he couldn't believe what he just said. Which I can't blame him for, even I couldn't really put together what I was saying. Yet it all seemed to make sense as we locked eyes once again.

"Question 21," My voice was weak as I spoke, and I couldn't help it. Our eyes stayed in a lock, he didn't even seem to blink. Before I even opened my mouth, my throat got dry and it hurt to speak. "Do you still love Blair?" That's when our stare was broken.

He looked down to the still busy streets, practically gazing at the happy people who walked hand in hand. After a long moment of quietly staring, he started to move back to the couch, grabbing the bottle of scotch. Emotionless he started to walk towards his room, leaving me their watching him. Before actually reaching the hall he stopped, turning back to look into my empty eyes.

His dried lips parted to say one last thing, "I know there's a lot of people who don't like the fact that you're back," Tiredly rubbed his right, trying not to seem like he cared much at all. "But I'm glad your back..." And that's all he said before leaving off to his room, probably going to drink the rest of the scotch before passing out.

Quietly I mumbled to myself, feeling like an idiot. "Glad to be back..." But that was a lie. Being here was the scariest thing since... I don't even know. With all the stupid things I've done in the past, you'd thing this wouldn't be so bad, but for some reason it all seems so much worse then before.

And the weirdest part? The only thing, the only person, who's been able to make any of this seem bearable, just walked of this room. Giving me the answer to my question. Chuck still loves Blair, yet Blair has moved on. Now all I have to figure out is why I even care...

*Line*

A/N: Chenny! Chenny! Well, it's working that way at this point. Kind of. I'm my harshest critic, but I don't like the beginning and middle as much as the end. Maybe it's because I like the Jenny/Chuck interaction better, or maybe I just hate Serena so much that whenever I write with her in it I automatically start to care less (No offense to S lovers...). Who knows. Most importantly, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE about how long it took to get this chapter out, when it wasn't even as long as the last one (I believe). The last week of summer is kind of haze, mainly helping my dad move and what not, with last minute school packing. Plus it doesn't help that whenever I was at my home with my mom, she kidnapped my laptop almost 24/7 though it's my laptop... :/ So you can kind of see my dilemma on writing. But I've survived my first week back at school, which means more chapters faster and better as I procrastinate actual work! :D

All in all, I really hoped you liked this chapter (at least the end). And you guys have NO idea what I have planned for this story. It's going to insane in the best of ways. Can't wait to get it out =]

PS: LOVE ALL OF YOU FOR FAVING/ALERTING/REVEIWING (had to do it in all caps, did it catch your attention? 3)